Museums in Jammu and Kashmir

About Jammu & Kashmir Museums

One way of learning about the rich culture, heritage and illustrious past of Jammu and Kashmir is visiting its museums. A special feature about the famous museums in Jammu and Kashmir is that most of them were once palaces, which were later on converted to museums.

So, along with a rich collection of artefacts and other items, it is their structure too that attracts the admiration of the tourists.

Museums in Jammu Region

There are two popular museums in the Jammu region where you can get a glimpse of its rich and glorious past, and houses rare and exquisite items that are very fascinating to come across.

Amar Palace Museum

Amar Palace Museum is a must visit museum in Jammu and Kashmir that looks majestic from the outside with its red sandstone structure and stands on a hillock overlooking the Tawi River valley. Built by Amar Singh of the Dogra dynasty, it houses several rich exhibits, including the golden throne weighing 120 kilograms, 25,000 antique books, paintings by MF Hussain and Pahadi style paintings that depict major events from the Mahabharata. The golden throne though, can only be seen from the panels.

Dogra Art Museum

Art lovers should visit the Dogra Art Museum during their holidays in Jammu and Kashmir, located in the Pink Hall in Mubarak Mandi Complex. It houses a rich and incredible collection of more than 800 rare paintings which possess enormous historical significance. The most attractive among these is the Pahari miniature paintings from Basohli along with beautifully illustrated Shahnama and Sikandernama in Persian. Other items include a gold painted bow, terracotta heads from Akhnoor, numismatics, jewellery, arms and Dogra costumes. A gold plated bow belonging to Emperor Shah Jehan can also be found here. 

Museums in Kashmir Valley

Shri Pratap Singh Museum, or SPS, as it is commonly known, is a major museum in Kashmir Valley which you should visit. It houses a rich collection of items which gives you a fair idea about its rich past, history and glorious past.

The rich collection of the museum includes manuscripts, numismatic items, miniature paintings, armoury, weapons, furniture, musical instruments, carpets, textiles, sculptures and other objects.